Newcastle United may be just a point clear of the relegation zone today but, 18 years ago, the Magpies went toe to toe with Inter Milan at the San Siro. That 2-2 draw proved one of the most memorable nights in the club’s recent history and it said it all about Sir Bobby Robson’s side’s performance that the Magpies were disappointed to only go home with a point from this Champions League group stage clash. Alan Shearer gave the fearless visitors a deserved lead at half-time and although Christian Vieri levelled for Inter after the break, the Newcastle captain fired the black-and-whites back in front just two minutes later.
Alan Shearer said “In 2003, 14,000 Newcastle fans travelled to Milan to watch us play Inter in the Champions League. The atmosphere in the San Siro that night was simply electric. We twice took the lead – I scored both – and although we were eventually pegged back to 2-2, it was a night that the fans who were there will never forget. We were in Europe, in the Champions League, and boy did the Toon Army show up for that one! Simply an amazing night.”
Newcastle ultimately had to settle for a point, though, after Ivan Cordoba scored Inter’s second equaliser after the hour mark. No one knew it at the time, of course, but that magical night remains Newcastle’s last away day in the Champions League proper to this day. 
Barcelona and Inter progressed into the quarter-finals in 2002-03 and although Newcastle went on to finish in third place in the Premier League that season, at the time, that was only enough to qualify for the third qualifying round of the Champions League. Newcastle were ultimately knocked out on penalties by Partizan Belgrade in August, 2003 and the Magpies had to make do with a place in the UEFA Cup. While have been some memorable runs in Europe’s second-tier competition in the years since, Newcastle have not returned to the top table since they took on Inter, Barca and Bayer Leverkusen 18 years ago. In some ways, that makes that night in the San Siro all the more special and Shearer certainly never forgot the events of March 11, 2003.
